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Saturday, 9 January 2016

Easing into the new year

We've had a satisfyingly slow start to the New Year. There has been much dog-walking (that will be the next post) and an unusual amount of relaxing (probably the post after that . . . ) but generally the first week of 2016 has been taken at a gentle pace.

LP managed 1½ days which is pretty good considering the time of year and continued wet weather. On Monday he and Management finished welding the shed frame (which I missed because Daisy and I had gone out) and he then concreted in the legs.

We have added wooden uprights at each corner to support the planned roof overhang. Does it look like a horrible, mucky, muddy mess? That is because it is. if we were ever planning on growing on this ground we'd definitely keep off it right now.

On Saturday he set to with a huge saw and cut up the horrible concrete plinth behind the house. Once this is removed we can create a small bed for climbers and perennials which will not mind being partially shady.

I've done no gardening at all, it is either too wet or too windy. I may have badly wanting to accomplish the "autumn clear up" before the new season started but the weather has had other ideas. Never mind, it will get done when it gets done and in the meantime, bulbs are popping up at an alarming rate!

Garlic, only planted on 15th December, is throwing itself out of the ground with almost indecent haste and in the Coppice a couple of Hellebores are putting on a very early show. Rubbishy out-of-focus pictures but it was raining when I took them.

Whoa, that certainly looks wet, but glad you are getting something done. Now I know why you've not posted, as a relaxed start to the New Year sounds good. The hellebores are looking good and bulbs up already. The foliage on my hellebores seems to be standing up to the heat OK, but Thursday is forecast as 41, yuk. Have a good week and look forward to your next few posts. Take care.

Love the hellebores Jayne. I had a morning in the garden on Sunday pulling out lots of Geranium Macchorizum (sp) which is amazing for ground cover on dry dusty soil but constantly gets a bit above itself and tries to take over! Everything is sodden here and my gardening gloves were soaking by the time I stopped for lunch. No flooding at this side though, the nearest is York which as always has been hit pretty badly.